NEW DELHI: Amid the 21-day lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, aviation regulator DGCA on Monday asked all companies to ensure that the personnel dealing with cargo flight operations are provided protective gear like masks and gloves.
Moreover, the DGCA said that all these personnel should be made aware of the importance of ensuring adequate distance (minimum 1 to 1.15 metres) at all work stations.
Shift in-charge of airports, packaging and handling centre should ensure the same, the DGCA's circular said.
As India is under a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, all domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.
However, cargo flights, special flights conducted with the approval of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), offshore helicopter operations and medical evacuation flights have been exempted from the flight ban.
"All personnel dealing with cargo operations will be provided with personal protective equipment like masks, gloves etc. All agencies shall ensure that repeated disinfection of common working areas is carried out at timely intervals," the DGCA's circular said.
The circular was addressed to all companies flying cargo flights, all airport operators, cargo terminal operators, ground handling agencies, custom clearing agents and freight forwarders.
"All agencies are advised to issue detailed do's and don'ts, which shall be displayed at prominent places and disseminate the same to all staff," it said.
The DGCA also said that all companies or agencies must issue guidelines to their staff to minimise public interactions.
"All agencies may designate teams for supervision or random checks for ensuring compliance," the circular added.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had announced last week that an air cargo management group has been created to help move essential commodities across the country.
Ninety-two new cases and four deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in India since Sunday taking total cases to 1,071 and the number of deaths to 29, the Health Ministry said on Monday while reiterating that there has been no community transmission of the virus as of now.